Sydney's Story
by autumnrose2010
Summary: A miracle of fate saves Sydney Carton and the seamstress from the guillotine at the last minute, and they end up falling in love with one another.
1. Escape

**Paris**

The seamstress continued to look steadily at Sydney's face just as he had told her to do. Suddenly, with no warning, he grabbed her hand and began to run with her. They ran until they were far away from the execution site and the guillotine. It was only when the seamstress had to pause to catch her breath that they finally slowed. She looked at Sydney questioningly.

"The guillotine has been dismantled. If we can make it out of France before the authorities have the chance to put it back together, we may have a chance to survive."

Just then, a carriage slowed to allow them to climb on board.

"Lie flat on the bottom of the carriage, and don't move or say a word," ordered the man who was driving the carriage. They did as he told them to and soon felt a blanket being thrown over their bodies. In the cramped space at the bottom of the carriage, Sydney felt the seamstress' back pressed up against his chest and his arms tightly around her middle. As they hadn't even yet been properly introduced, they both felt terribly awkward in this pose. In a little while they were very hot and were having trouble breathing. The man adjusted the blanket so that they could breathe more easily.

Finally the carriage had stopped and they were getting onto a boat with a group of fellow former prisoners. To his surprise, Sydney found that the seamstress had actually fallen asleep and he had to rouse her. "Am I that comfortable a pillow?" he asked her jokingly. She blushed and smiled, and he felt a certain fondness that he had previously only felt in the presence of Lucie Manette Darnay.

"Why was the guillotine dismantled?" asked the seamstress.

"I truly do not understand it," Sydney told her. "The man operating the machine looked at us and then began to take it apart and motioned for us to run. I got you away from there just as quickly as I could."

"Where are we going?"

"England. I have dear friends in London who will be able to help me. I'm sure they wouldn't mind helping you as well since you are with me."

"I'm sorry. You don't even know my name yet. It's Gabrielle."

Sydney smiled. "My name is Sydney. I'm very pleased to meet you, Gabrielle. I only wish that it could have happened under better circumstances."

Gabrielle looked confused. "Sydney sounds more like an English name than a French one."

"It is. I'm English."

"What were you doing in France then? And how did you come to be a prisoner condemned to die?"

"I came to Paris to help a friend of mine who had been unjustly condemned. It's a long story."

"Well, I would love to hear it, if you don't mind sharing it with me."

"I don't mind at all. And seeing that it will be a while before we reach England, I think that I shall have plenty of time."

Gabrielle listened with rapt attention as Sydney told her the entire story from the beginning: how he had met the Darnays and come to be their friend, why Charles had returned to Paris, and his own daring plan to save Charles' life.

"You are a very brave man, and the best friend anyone could ever hope to have," she told him when he had finished. "I feel deeply honored to have met you."

"It is a far, far better thing that I have just done than I have ever done before," Sydney said. "And now that I have been given a second chance at life, I hope that I can prove myself deserving of it."


	2. Return To England

**London**

"I...killed a woman." Ms. Pross looked as if she were in a daze.

"You didn't commit murder," Lucie told her. "What you did was nothing more than simply self defense. She was trying to kill you." Lucie sat on the sofa beside Charles, who had his head in her lap. He was only just now beginning to come out of his drug-induced stupor.

"I can't believe that I actually did it," Ms. Pross repeated.

"What you did was a very brave thing." Lucie tried her best to comfort the older woman. "She was trying to hurt me and Little Lucie, and you were defending us. You risked your own life to do so, and we are very grateful to you."

Ms. Pross looked immensely relieved.

Charles opened his eyes for the first time since his escape from La Force.

"Where am I? Is this heaven?"

"You're safe at home in London, my darling," Lucie told him. "Everything's going to be all right now."

"Where's Sydney? He was just here, talking to me..."

"Sydney...Sydney's gone, Charles. He switched places with you and tricked the executioners into thinking that he was you. You were smuggled out of La Force and Sydney...went to the guillotine."

"No...no! It can't be!" Charles' face twisted in anguish. "Please tell me it isn't true! Please tell me I'm not the cause of an innocent man's death!"

"You're not the cause of his death, sweetheart." Lucie rubbed her husband's back in an attempt to sooth him.

"He freely chose to die in your place, Charles, out of his love for me...for us."

"Sydney! Oh, Sydney, my dear, dear, friend..." Charles buried his face in his hands and cried unconsolably. Lucie held him and cried with him. Ms. Pross, unused to such a display of emotion, looked on awkwardly.

**Dover**

"The white sands of your country are lovely," Gabrielle said to Sydney as they disembarked from the boat.

Sydney laughed. "This is just the seashore. Inland it rains almost constantly, and because of that, the grass on the hills is a vibrant green. It's breathtakingly beautiful."

"I can't wait to see it."

"You shall, very soon," Sydney assured her. "So, tell me about yourself. You know quite a bit about me now, but I know very little about you."

"I'm afraid there isn't much to tell. My parents have been gone for a number of years now. I had one sister, Sophie, who was much older than me. She sickened and died a few months ago. I miss her terribly." Gabrielle looked as if she might cry.

"I'm so sorry, Gabrielle," Sydney said softly.

"Sophie was almost more like a mother to me than a sister," Gabrielle continued. "When we were younger, she used to tell me every day that she loved me and that I was the only good thing that ever happened to her. In many ways, I was closer to her than I was to our mother, even. I can't begin to tell you how all alone I felt after she died."

"Well, you're not all alone anymore," Sydney said tenderly.

**London**

Charles and Lucie had regained their composure and sat quietly discussing the recent events with Ms. Pross and Dr. Manette while Little Lucie took a nap in the bedroom. After all the excitement of the day, the child was quite exhausted.

"As she was dying, she said the oddest thing," Ms. Pross told the others. "Her exact words were: 'I must be there today, for today is the day Charles and Gabrielle St. Evermonde die.'"

Charles was puzzled. "But I have no relative named Gabrielle," he said. "After my parents died, only Uncle Phillippe and myself were left."

"That does seem odd," Lucie agreed.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.


	3. A Happy Surprise

Words can't describe the joy the Darnays felt to discover that their dear friend was still alive, after all. After everyone had hugged and kissed Sydney, they turned their attention to his companion.

"This is Gabrielle," Sydney said. "She was sentenced to die with me. We both escaped when the guillotine was dismantled for some unknown reason."

Ms. Pross and Charles exchanged looks.

"What's your last name, Gabrielle?" Charles asked gently.

"It's Lefevre. Why?"

"So you are in no way related to the St. Evremonde family, then?"

"The St. Evremonde family? That's the family Therese hates so much."

"Therese?"

"Therese Defarge. She helped care for my sister Sophie as she lay dying. She was always very kind to me up until Sophie died. After that she became very hateful and refused to have anything to do with me. I tried to ask her why, but she only slammed the door in my face. Another thing..." Gabrielle paused to catch her breath, and the others looked on, captivated.

"Therese took some of my sister's things. I didn't actually see her take them, but I'm certain that she must have. After Sophie died, I was going through her things and noticed that a number of them were missing. Therese is the only person who could have taken them."

"She was an evil, evil woman," Lucie said. "But she's gone now."

"Therese is dead?"

"Ms. Pross had to stab her in self defense. She came to the inn where we were staying because she meant to harm me and my child," Lucie explained.

"But why would she have wanted to harm you?"

"I am originally from the St. Evremonde family," Charles told Gabrielle. "Phillippe St. Evremonde was my uncle. I renounced all ties to him, moved to England, changed my last name, and began a new life here. I returned to Paris to attempt to rescue a former family servant who had been imprisoned."

"I have no idea why I was sentenced to death," Gabrielle said. "I have no ties to any family of nobility. My parents were poor people of the working class."

Just then Little Lucie woke up and entered the room. She saw Sydney and ran to him happily. "Uncle Sydney!" she cried. Sydney picked her up and showered her with kisses.

"What a lovely child," Gabrielle remarked. "She is your niece, then?"

"No. She's Charles and Lucie's daughter. But I have known her for her entire life and so I'm just like an uncle to her," Sydney explained.

Gabrielle looked sad. "I don't know what shall become of my niece and nephew," she said. "I had cared for them since their mother, my sister, died. When I was arrested and taken to La Force they were put into an orphanage. I don't have any idea which one so I wouldn't know even know how to start looking for them. I do hope that they will be well taken care of and adopted by a nice family."

"I hope so too, Gabrielle," said Sydney.

"Please, may Gabrielle stay with you two for awhile? She knows no one in London and has nowhere else to go," Sydney said to Charles and Lucie.

"Of course she may," Charles said with no hesitation. "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, Sydney. She may stay here for as long as she needs to."

"I am deeply indebted to you, monsieur," Gabrielle told Charles.

"Think nothing of it, mademoiselle," Charles replied.


	4. Secrets

"Would you like for me to read you a bedtime story?" Gabrielle asked Little Lucie that night.

"All right." Unused to visitors outside the family other than Sydney, the little girl was fascinated with the pretty young woman with the dark curls. She selected the book that she wanted to be read from and brought it to Gabrielle, who was sitting in a chair beside the little girl's bed.

"You're such a lovely little girl," Gabrielle told Lucie. "You remind me so much of my niece. Her name's Genevieve, and she's just about your age."

"Where is she?"

"Her mother and father are dead, so she and her brother Georges lived with me until I was put into prison, and then they were put into a home for children who don't have any family."

"But now you're out of prison, so they can live with you again, right?"

Gabrielle shook her head sadly. "There are lots of homes just like the one they're in, and I don't know which one they're in, so I wouldn't even know where to start looking."

"Oh." Little Lucie looked sad. "Well, _I'll _be your friend, Gabrielle."

"Thank you, sweetheart. You really are a darling girl." Gabrielle hugged Little Lucie and kissed her cheek.

* * *

><p>Several mornings later, Lucie opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to see Sydney standing there.<p>

"It's such a lovely day today that I thought perhaps Gabrielle would like to go to the park," he said.

"Oh, yes!" Gabrielle exclaimed. Sydney smiled happily and held out his arm to her, and she joined him.

Later that same morning, a package arrived in the mail.

"It's from the inn where we stayed in Paris," Lucie said. She opened the package and found that it contained a letter and a small book. She read the letter first.

"They say that the book was found on the floor of the room at the inn, so they assumed that it must have belonged to us."

Next Lucie picked up the book. "There's a name on the cover. Sophie Lefevre."

"Gabrielle's sister." Charles was stunned.

"It's obviously a diary," Lucie continued, glancing through it. "Some of the pages are bookmarked." She turned to the first page that was bookmarked. As she began to read, Charles saw her turn pale. "Oh, dear God, no," she whispered. "This is simply terrible. That poor, poor girl..." She handed the diary to Charles and he began to read at the first date that was bookmarked.

_While walking home from school today I turned to notice that a carriage had pulled up beside me, and who was sitting in that carriage but Philippe St. Evremonde himself. He commented on how lovely the sunset was and said that he knew the perfect spot to watch it from. Flattered that someone of his station would speak kindly to me, I immediately climbed aboard his carriage. The place he took me to was deep inside the woods. No sooner had we alighted from the carriage than his attitude toward me changed completely. He told me that I was beautiful and demanded that I take off all my clothes so that he could see what I looked like naked. I was shocked and refused, of course. He grew angry and began to rip my clothes from my body. I was much too frightened to protest. He threw me roughly to the ground and said that if i made any noise or tried to run away I was going to be sorry. I watched as he unfastened his pants and took his organ out and began to stroke it. When it was hard he climbed on top of me and forced it inside me. It hurt terribly, as if a thing the size and texture of a mop handle had invaded my most intimate parts. When he was finished, he simply stood and walked back to his carriage, leaving me lying there shaking and crying. After awhile I noticed that it was getting very dark and realized that my parents would be worried about me, so I collected my torn clothing and tried to put it back on. I was bleeding from where he had forced his organ into me, and I could barely walk. I don't know how I ever made it back home, but I somehow did. I had never before been happier to see my parents._

Charles turned to the next bookmarked date, which was about two months later.

_I very much fear that I am with child as a result of what Philippe St. Evremonde did to me in the woods on that horrible day. I truly don't know what to do as now everyone will think that I have lain with a man as do girls with loose morals. I can no longer attend school as the other students will whisper behind my back and call me names. Although it will break my heart to do so, I shall have to tell my parents. They shall be devastated, I know. Oh, whatever shall I do?_

The next bookmarked date was about seven months after that.

_My Gabrielle is here! Giving birth to her was the most difficult and painful thing I have ever done, by far. At one point I truly thought that i would die, but when it was finally over with and i saw her tiny but perfect little body, I knew that it had all been worth it. She is just so tiny, so fragile and helpless, and I love her more than I ever thought that I could love anyone. Much, much more. Mother and Father say that everything is going to be all right. We shall tell everyone that Gabrielle is their daughter and my sister. I shall continue my schooling at home as I have been doing these past months, and no one shall ever know the truth._

With tears in his eyes, Charles glanced through the rest of the diary. An entry dated about two years after the last caught his interest.

_I had a bad fright today as I nearly lost my Gabrielle. I lost sight of her for just a second, and the next thing I knew, she was headed for the street. She can run so very fast now. I saw a carriage coming along at a frightful speed and screamed her name, but she didn't seem to hear me. Dashing forward as quickly as I could, I snatched her up just as the carriage rumbled by, narrowly missing us both. It slowed for just a moment so that its driver, Philippe St. Evremonde, could look out. No doubt he recognized me and therefore knew who Gabrielle must be as well. He said but one word to me. "Slut." Then he disappeared inside his carriage once more and drove away. He had just almost ran over his own daughter and didn't even care at all._

The tears flowed more freely from Charles' eyes now and fell upon the diary he held.


	5. A Pleasant Day Turns Sour

While Charles and Lucie uncovered the diary's secrets, Sydney and Gabrielle enjoyed a leisurely stroll to the park. Gabrielle asked Sydney what his usual occupation was.

"I'm a barrister," he told her. "I studied law in school because I wanted to be able to help the disadvantaged find justice. I've seen too many cases where innocent people were imprisoned simply because they couldn't afford legal representation. At an early age, I decided that I would dedicate my life to trying to help them."

"That's very noble of you," Gabrielle said.

Sydney smiled and blushed slightly. "So, have you always been a seamstress?"

Gabrielle nodded. "As were my mother and sister before me. It's the only trade any of the women in my family have ever known."

"How much older than you was your sister?"

"Fourteen years. She told me that my parents had thought that they couldn't have any more children and that I was a special gift from God. Have you any brothers or sisters, Sydney?"

"No. My parents died when I was very young. I was alone in the world until I met the Darnays. My loneliness was what drove me to drink, but you know what? I haven't had a single drink since we returned from Paris."

"That's wonderful, Sydney!" Gabrielle beamed.

"I feel that since I was given a second chance at life, I should make the most of it, and included in that is the duty to try my best to stop drinking."

"I'm not sure yet what I should do with _my _second chance," Gabrielle said softly.

"Perhaps there was something special in the world that you were meant to accomplish," Sydney suggested. "Or, someone special you were meant to meet."

"Perhaps I've already met him, even." Gabrielle smiled, and Sydney smiled back as he took her hand.

* * *

><p>When Sydney and Gabrielle returned to the Darnay's home, they found that the tension in the air was almost palpable, in marked contrast to the carefree atmosphere from which they had just returned. Charles' and Lucie's expressions were so grim that Gabrielle feared that they were angry. She felt her stomach muscles tighten in fear. If they told her that she must leave, where on earth would she go?<p>

"We have something very important to discuss with you, Gabrielle." Charles' tone seemed to confirm Gabrielle's fears, and the knots in her stomach tightened even more. She cast a fearful glance at Charles.

"You see...oh, I don't even know how to start...my poor, dear cousin..."

Gabrielle was shocked not only by Charles' words but even more so by the agony in his voice.

"Why did you call me cousin?"

"Because it's true. Our fathers were brothers."

"But my father had no brothers..."

"Gabrielle, the man you think of as your father was really your grandfather." Charles' voice was heavy with compassion. "And the woman you think of as your sister was really your mother. Your true father was my uncle, Philippe St. Evremonde."

Gabrielle shook her head, perplexed. "Are you telling me that Sophie was my mother and that she had an affair with Philippe St. Evremonde?"

"No, I'm telling you that Sophie was your mother and that she was raped by Philippe St. Evremonde. You were conceived as a result of that rape. I'm so very sorry to have to tell you this."

"No! _No! _You _lie!" _Gabrielle rushed at Charles, trying to attack him, but was restrained by Lucie.

"My God, how I wish I _were _lying." Charles shook his head. "It's all right here in her diary, which was sent to us by the inn Lucie stayed at in Paris. They thought that it belonged to us and had been accidentally left behind."

"No...oh no..." Gabrielle shook her head vehemently. "No...it can't be..."

Charles silently handed the diary to Gabrielle, who frantically began to read it. When she was finished she burst into sobs.

"Oh, my poor, poor Sophie...I should never have been born at all...I should never have even existed..."

"You're not to blame in any way, Gabrielle." Charles placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're no more responsible for his evil deeds than I am myself."

Gabrielle looked up with disbelieving eyes. "She should have hated me...and yet, she loved me..."

"Of course she did. How could she not have?" Sydney spoke for the first time since their return from the park. He went to the devastated young woman and embraced her tenderly, and she trustingly laid her head on his shoulder.

"No one has held me like this since I was a child," she told him.

"I have a feeling you haven't had nearly enough love in your life." Sydney gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. "I'd like to make that up to you, if you'll let me."


	6. Making Plans

"You are such a kind man, Sydney," Gabrielle said.

"I'm no angel." Sydney cleared his throat. "But I try to do the best I can."

"You'll always be an angel in our sight, Sydney," Lucie said, and Charles nodded his agreement.

Sydney smiled modestly.

"Well, that explains everything, then," Gabrielle said in reference to the previous topic. "Why Therese was always so hateful to me after Sophie's death...why I was sentenced to the guillotine myself...now I know exactly what happened. Therese found Sophie's diary amongst her things and took it without telling me."

"She had it with her when she came to the inn in Paris to confront me...she must have dropped it in the struggle with Ms. Pross," Lucie continued.

Tears were forming in Gabrielle's eyes again, tears of deep hurt. "I just can't believe that she could hate me so _much..."_

"She was a truly evil person, as was my uncle," Charles said. "But they're both gone now. Neither one of them can ever hurt another person again."

"But he was your _uncle..." _Gabrielle said.

"And I never cared much for him at all, but I hate him more than ever now that I know what he did to your mother...and to you."

"I must find my niece and nephew...well, really they're my brother and sister, aren't they," Gabrielle said suddenly.

"What?" Charles' eyebrows shot up.

"Sophie's children, Georges and Genevieve. Genevieve is the same age as little Lucie, and Georges is a couple of years older. Before Sophie died, I promised her that I would take care of them, that I wouldn't let them be taken from me and put into an orphanage."

"What of their father?" asked Charles.

"His name was Michel. He was a good man. You see, I was only ten years old when our parents..._Sophie's _parents, I mean...died. She had a very hard time struggling to support both of us on her wages as a seamstress. Michel owned a clothing store and was one of her customers. One day he saw her crying and asked what was wrong. 'I am no longer able to support myself and my younger sister,' she told him. 'Please don't cry, _cherie. _I'll take care of you,' he told her. And so they were married."

"If she ever told him the truth about where I came from, he never showed any indication of it to me. He always treated me exactly like a younger sister. No differently. He fell sick and died about a year before Sophie died. I miss them both ever so much." A sob caught in her throat, and Sydney put his arms around her again. She rested her head on his shoulder until she regained her composure.

"Can't you see? Now that I know the truth, I have to try to find them, even if I have to go to every orphanage in Paris. After what she suffered...what she went through for my sake...I simply have to find them, for _her."_

"But my dear girl, you just barely escaped Paris with your life. To return there so soon afterwards would be sheer madness," Sydney objected.

"But the person who sought my death is now dead herself."

"But Ernest Defarge is still alive," Charles said.

"If you're determined to go, at least let me accompany you," Sydney urged.

"I have a friend who could get identification papers for you under an assumed name," Charles suggested. "As you know, when I moved to London I had my last name legally changed to Darnay. He helped me with that process, so I feel sure that he could help you as well. I will ask him the next chance I get."

"I would be deeply grateful to you," Gabrielle told him.

"I'm honored to help you in any way that I can," Charles replied. "After all, you are my only living blood relative now, besides my daughter, of course."

Gabrielle hung her head. Charles saw the pain in her eyes and gently lifted her chin with his fingers. "It truly doesn't matter how it came about. We're cousins still."

Gabrielle smiled gratefully.

"I would still be happy to accompany you on your journey, if you don't mind," Sydney offered.

"Thank you. I'd like that."

"Of course if you are to travel together, it will have to be as a married couple," Charles pointed out.

"Oh, that's right." Gabrielle gasped.

"If Charles' friend can obtain the proper documentation, I don't see that it will be a problem," Sydney said with a smile.

"But what if we have to stay overnight at an inn?"

"I promise to behave as a proper gentleman the entire time."

Gabrielle still looked a bit hesitant, but Sydney smiled encouragingly at her, and she tentatively smiled back.

"Looks like it's all settled, then," Charles said cheerfully.


	7. Return To Paris

Within a few days, Sydney and Gabrielle had documentation identifying them as Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Carton, English citizens, and they hugged and kissed the Darnays good-bye and set out for Paris. Fearful of encountering Ernest Defarge, Gabrielle wore a blonde wig as an extra precaution.

"Despite the danger, I truly feel that I am returning home," Gabrielle said.

"That's perfectly understandable, as you have never known any other home," Sydney told her. "I can't begin to tell you how heartbroken I felt when I left London for what I thought was the last time."

"Weren't you at all afraid to die?" asked Gabrielle.

"Of course I was afraid, but the love I felt for Lucie was stronger than my fear."

"I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be so loved by a man that he would even be willing to give up his life for my happiness." Gabrielle's eyes held a far-away look.

"You are still very young and have much in life yet to experience," Sydney told her. "I daresay you may well experience that kind of love one day. In fact, I'm certain that you will." He smiled and embraced her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He cuddled her more closely to him, and they journeyed the rest of the way to France that way.

Gabrielle dozed off before they reached their destination, and Sydney had to gently awaken her when they reached France.

"Isn't it grand to be able to sit up in the carriage and look out upon the beautiful countryside?" Sydney asked.

"I much prefer it to riding scrunched up on the floor," Gabrielle replied, and they both laughed.

Once inside Paris, Gabrielle directed the carriage to a small cemetery on the outskirts of the city. She quietly took Sydney's hand and led him to a small grave covered with leaves and vines. She gently swept them away with her hand and bent to kiss the small marker.

"Sophie. My mother," she whispered. "I finally know the truth, and as much as I loved you before, it's nothing compared to how much I love you now. Everything that you had to go through...your sacrifices for me...oh, Mother..." Gabrielle began to cry, and Sydney quietly looked on, not wanting to invade her privacy. After awhile she dried her tears, kissed the marker once again, and rose to join Sydney. Silently, they walked back to the carriage and continued on their journey.

"We are Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Carton, and we seek to adopt two children, a boy and a girl," Sydney told the manager of the first orphanage they reached.

Gabrielle looked at dozens of orphans, but none of them were Georges or Genevieve. After several hours, she grew very discouraged.

"Why don't we take a break and do something relaxing for a little while," Sydney suggested, massaging Gabrielle's shoulders. "You look so tired."

They took a walk to a local park, where they fed the birds, went for a long walk, and then sat on a bench chatting.

Refreshed, they returned to the orphanage to continue their search. At the end of the day, tired and disappointed, they checked into an inn.

"You take the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor," Sydney offered.

"I won't hear of it," Gabrielle said. "There's plenty of room in bed for both of us."

"But I wouldn't feel right about sleeping in bed with a woman who isn't my wife," Sydney protested.

"If you're sleeping on the floor, then I'm sleeping on the floor, too." Gabrielle giggled.

"All right, then. I'm not going to call your bluff." Sydney grinned and got into bed on one side, and Gabrielle got into bed on the other side.

Gabrielle lay in bed exhausted but wide awake, unable to get her mind off the fact that Sydney was mere inches away from her. Finally she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Sydney?"

"Yes?"

"Will you hold me, please?"

Sydney reached for her immediately, and she cuddled up in his arms so that nearly every inch of her body was touching him.

The warm softness of Gabrielle's body began to awaken desires in Sydney, desires he hadn't felt in quite some time but which were now present once again, in full force.

Gabrielle felt an unfamiliar hardness and instinctively moved away.

Sydney lay there for awhile, unsure what to do. He longed to hold Gabrielle in his arms again but didn't want her to be uncomfortable. Finally he got up from bed.

"What's wrong?" whispered Gabrielle.

"Nothing at all. Everything's fine. I just need to excuse myself for a few minutes," Sydney whispered back.

She was asleep by the time he returned. He pulled her close to himself as before and was soon asleep as well.


	8. Profession Of Love

"Did you sleep well?" Sydney asked Gabrielle the next morning.

"It was a little bit hard to get used to sleeping in a different bed," Gabrielle replied. That wasn't the only reason, or even the main reason, that she had had difficulty sleeping the previous night, but it was the only one she felt comfortable mentioning to him. "Did you sleep well, Sydney?"

Sydney cleared his throat. "As well as could be expected," he muttered, beginning to pace back and forth restlessly. "Listen...it may be too early to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway. I love you, Gabrielle Lefevre." He sat beside her and looked at her beseechingly.

"As much as you love Lucie?" she asked.

Sydney looked away. "Lucie's with Charles. She made her choice," he said quietly.

"That doesn't answer my question," Gabrielle said gently.

Sydney sighed. "I do love Lucie still...as a friend. A very dear friend, which she has been for many years now. I admit, I did feel passionate love for her at one time, but that has long ago faded, and all that remains of it is a ghost of a memory." Sydney stood and began to pace again. "I...I wanted you last night, Gabrielle. Quite badly, in fact."

"I know." Gabrielle stared at the floor.

Sydney lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "Do you love me, Gabrielle?"

She nodded as relief flooded through her. Sydney's lips met her own in a soft kiss. "Let's go find your brother and sister," he told her.

"But...if I do find them, what shall I tell them? They still believe me to be their aunt."

"I see no harm in letting them continue to believe that, at least for the time being. They're still too young to understand the truth."

After several fruitless hours of searching, Sydney took Gabrielle to a quaint little Paris cafe for lunch, and then they resumed their search.

Toward the end of the day, Gabrielle finally found Georges and Genevieve. They both shouted with joy at the sight of the woman whom they believed to be their aunt.

"My darlings!"Gabrielle cried, hugging and kissing them. "I can't begin to tell you how glad I am to see you again!"

"They told us that you were going away and never coming back," said Georges.

"Of course I came back!" Gabrielle laughed. "I had to come back for you, my precious ones!"

"I missed you, Aunt Gabrielle!" cried Genevieve.

"I missed you too, _ma cherie. _I missed both of you more than words can say. I'm ever so happy to finally see you again. This is Sydney. He's a very dear friend of mine."

"It's ever so lovely to meet you both," Sydney told the children.

Georges and Genevieve were both quite shy around Sydney at first, but when they saw how close he and Gabrielle were, they quickly warmed up to him.

As it was too late in the day to begin the journey back to London, the four of them returned to the inn for the night. Gabrielle slept in the bed with the children, and Sydney slept on the floor. Even if not for the children being there, he wouldn't have trusted himself to spend another night in bed with Gabrielle.


	9. Proposal

Exhaustion from two days of relentless searching combined with relief over finally being reunited with Georges and Genevieve resulted in Gabrielle's sleeping much better her second night in Paris than she had her first. Sydney awakened first and spent several minutes sitting beside the bed, just watching her sleep. She looked so fresh, so innocent, so young, that his heart filled with tenderness for her, so much so that he temporarily forgot everything else and thought only of her and how he felt about her.

He was still watching her when she yawned, stretched, and opened her eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her.

She blinked. "Is it morning already?"

Sydney smiled and softly touched her hair. "When we get back to London, I want to marry you."

"What?" Now fully awake, she sat up in bed.

"I love you, Gabrielle, and I want to make you my wife."

She was startled, then elated. "Oh, Sydney!" she cried.

"Is that a 'yes', then?" Sydney chuckled.

Gabrielle nodded. "I love you too, Sydney. Yes, I do want to marry you." They embraced and kissed.

After awhile, Georges and Genevieve also awakened, and they all ate breakfast together. They were almost ready to leave the inn to return to London when they heard a knock at the door. Sydney opened it to reveal a man whom he didn't recognize but who looked vaguely familiar to Gabrielle.

"Gabrielle," the man said softly. "Don't you recognize me?"

Gabrielle frowned. "Should I?"

"I'm Pierre," the man told her. "My family used to live across the street from yours. We played together when we were children."

"Oh yes! Now I remember!" Gabrielle smiled.

"I was the man operating the guillotine on the day you were sentenced to die," Pierre continued. "When I saw that you were to be the next to die, I knew that I simply couldn't do it. I dismantled the guillotine and walked away. I was punished for doing so, of course, but it was worth it. I just couldn't take the life of the woman I've loved since childhood. That's right, Gabrielle. I loved you then, and I still love you now."

Shocked, Gabrielle and Sydney looked at each other as an awkward silence ensued. It was finally broken by Gabrielle.

"I...I don't know what to say," she stammered.

"Please say you'll stay in Paris with me," Pierre begged.

"I...am not at liberty," Gabrielle told him. They were the exact words Lucie Manette had once said to Sydney, years previously.

Pierre looked from Gabrielle to Sydney standing beside her and nodded. "I understand," he said sadly. "Congratulations. I wish you both the best."

"Wait!" Gabrielle called to him as he turned to leave. He paused and turned back around, surprised.

"You will always have our profound gratitude for your courageous act," Gabrielle told him. "We must return to our home in London now, but we will never forget you and what you did for us. You are welcome in our home at any time, and we will always consider you to be a dear friend, as I hope that you will consider us to be as well."

"Thank you." Pierre's eyes filled with tears as he clasped Gabrielle's hand. "I...I must go now."

"I hope that we will see you again some day," Gabrielle said, kissing his cheek warmly.

"I see so much of you in him, Sydney," Gabrielle commented as Pierre departed. "I do hope that we will someday see him again."

"I know exactly how he feels," Sydney replied. "I also hope we see him again some day."


	10. Consummation

The Darnays were thrilled to learn that Georges and Genevieve had finally been found, and that Sydney and Gabrielle were now engaged.

"We wish to marry as quickly as possible," Sydney said. "A simple ceremony with the justice of the peace will be fine with us. Unless, of course, Gabrielle wants to wait and hire a priest."

"Oh, no," Gabrielle said. "Whatever you want is fine with me."

"Very well, then. If Charles and Lucie will agree to be our witnesses, there's no cause for delay," Sydney said.

"We will be more than happy to be your witnesses," Charles told him.

Miss Pross stayed behind to watch Little Lucie, Georges, and Genevieve while the other four adults went to the courthouse. Within the hour, Sydney and Gabrielle emerged as husband and wife. Sydney was grinning from ear to ear, and Gabrielle's face shone with happiness.

"Please allow us to take you to dinner to celebrate," Charles said. He and Lucie took Sydney and Gabrielle to the nicest restaurant in London.

"Thank you ever so much. You are so very kind," Gabrielle told them afterwards.

"It was our pleasure," Lucie replied. "We will be happy to keep Georges and Genevieve tonight so that the two of you can have some privacy on your wedding night."

"We appreciate that very much," Sydney said. "I must search for a larger apartment soon, but that can wait until tomorrow." Sydney had other things on his mind right then.

"Welcome home," he told Gabrielle as he took her hand and led her into his apartment. Gabrielle had been inside his apartment before, but her previous visits had all been very brief. Sydney gave her a quick tour that ended in the bedroom.

"At last I can love you as I want so very badly to," he whispered as they both reclined on the bed. They began to kiss and cuddle, and Gabrielle felt the unfamiliar hardness once again.

"May I see?" she asked hesitantly, letting her hand rest lightly on the bulge in Sydney's pants.

"Of course you may." Sydney quickly undressed and stood naked in front of Gabrielle, who gently caressed every inch of his rigid member and scrotum.

"You have very talented fingers," Sydney chuckled.

"Do you like that?" Gabrielle asked shyly.

"Oh, yes. Very much. Now, please allow me to return the favor." He helped her to undress, then spent several minutes fondling and suckling her breasts before gently sliding his fingers between her legs, marvelling at how moist she already was.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Oh, yes," she whispered. He got into position and slowly entered her. She gave but one slight gasp of pain, which was followed by only moans of pleasure from them both.

When it was over, they lay panting in one another's arms.

"Are you all right?" Sydney asked after awhile.

"I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?" They both laughed. "Are you all right, Sydney?"

"I'm much better than just all right." Sydney grinned, but a shadow of melancholy passed over Gabrielle's face.

"What is it?" Sydney was instantly concerned.

"My poor Sophie..." Sydney saw that tears were in Gabrielle's eyes. He tenderly kissed them. "She would want you to be happy, my love," he whispered.

"Yes, I know." Gabrielle sighed. She couldn't help contrasting her own first sexual experience with that of her mother.

"I love you so very much, my sweet Gabrielle." Sydney knew what she was thinking about and wished with all his heart that he could somehow take away the sorrow.

"I love you too, Sydney." She laid her head on his chest and was soon asleep.


	11. Finding A Home

Gabrielle opened her eyes and blinked at the sunlight streaming in through the window and lying in stripes across the floor. She felt the warmth of Sydney's skin against her face and the tickle of his chest hairs, and memories of the previous night flooded back to her. Feeling mischievous but a tad guilty at the same time, she pulled the sheet back, exposing Sydney's nudity. She gazed at the part of him that had been so rigid the night before, now lying limp and flaccid. She reached to gingerly touch it, marvelling at its velvet softness. She glanced swiftly at Sydney's face and saw that his eyes were open.

"Sorry." She blushed deeply and quickly pulled her hand away as if she had just touched a hot stove.

"There's nothing to apologize for." Sydney smiled and kissed her nose. "It's perfectly normal to be curious."

Gabrielle smiled back, relieved.

"How much did you know about it before last night?" Sydney asked.

"Well, after Georges was born, I watched Sophie giving him a bath and saw that he had an extra body part that I didn't have. I asked her about it and she told me that it was because he was a little boy and that all little boys had that extra body part. Another time, there were two cats doing it in an alley and I asked Sophie what they were doing. She said that was how kittens got started. That was all I ever knew about it until, of course, I read her diary."

She was afraid that what she said sounded silly, but she saw that Sydney looked thoughtful and perhaps slightly amused but not in a derogatory way at all.

"So does that mean I'm pregnant now?"

"Well, you could be, but perhaps not. You don't get pregnant every time you do it. Sometimes you do, but more often not."

"Why is that?"

"I think it has something to do with the time of the month and fertility cycles. You mean Sophie never explained that to you?"

"She didn't like to talk about it. I know now that it's because of what happened to her."

"Oh, yes. Right. That makes sense." Sydney looked sad.

"How did you find out, Sydney?"

"My father explained it all to me when I was about twelve. I could tell it was very awkward for him." Sydney chuckled softly.

"Did you ever do it before? Before last night, I mean."

"Ah, no. Last night was my first time as well."

Gabrielle was secretly glad, but she didn't say anything.

"Let's get some breakfast," Sydney suggested. "We've a busy day of house hunting ahead of us."

"It will be so thrilling to finally have a house of my own to live in!" Gabrielle exclaimed.

"It's thrilling to me simply to finally have a family of my own," Sydney replied.

"I know you didn't expect to get a family that already had two children in it," Gabrielle said apologetically.

"Why, that's no problem at all," Sydney told her with a smile. "Georges and Genevieve are both so very precious, and I shall love them as my own."

Tears came to Gabrielle's eyes. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever known, Sydney. I'm so very glad I met you!"

Sydney smiled modestly and blushed. Then he held Gabrielle's face in his hands and tenderly kissed her lips.

"Do you want children of our own, Sydney?"

"Absolutely! Don't you?"

Gabrielle smiled and nodded.

"We'll have them, then. As many as you want."

Gabrielle laughed. "I'm sure two or three would be fine."

They spent the morning answering advertisements for vacant houses for sale or rent. They found a lovely house that was only one block over from Charles and Lucie's home. It had a thatched roof and a screened-in porch that Gabrielle fell in love with, and the back yard had a bird bath and a tree house.

"This is it!" Gabrielle exclaimed.

Sydney made the down payment, and they went to the Darnays to fetch Georges and Genevieve and take them to show them their new home.


	12. Lucie's News

"Is this really our home for keeps, Aunt Gabbie?" asked Georges.

"It's ours for keeps," Gabrielle assured him with a smile.

"Hurray!" shouted both children as they dashed for the tree house.

"I'm so happy they finally have a permanent home," Gabrielle said. "We owe it all to you, Sydney."

"I'm so happy I was able to provide that for them," Sydney replied, putting his arm around Gabrielle.

"You have a heart of gold, Sydney," Gabrielle told him.

"I'm just an ordinary man," Sydney said modestly.

A few nights after the family moved into their new home, Charles and Lucie invited them over for dinner.

"I have exciting news to share," Lucie announced. "I'm with child again!"

"That's wonderful!" Sydney exclaimed.

"When are you due?" asked Gabrielle.

"In about seven months," Lucie told her. "Charles and I are so excited! We've been wanting to give Little Lucie a baby brother or sister for a long time now."

"Would you like to come over and play in our tree house?" Georges asked Little Lucie.

"If Mama says it's all right, I would love to," Little Lucie told him.

"Of course you may go, my dear," Lucie said.

"We can have a tea party!" Genevieve exclaimed. Georges made a face, and all the adults laughed.

Later, when Gabrielle was helping Lucie clean up after dinner, she asked her how she had known that she was with child.

"The first thing that happens is that your monthly courses stop," Lucie explained. "Then your breasts get swollen and sensitive, and you feel very sleepy a lot of the time. Sometimes you get queasy too, especially in the mornings."

"I don't remember much about when Sophie was pregnant with Genevieve, it was such a long time ago," Gabrielle said. "I just remember that her belly got really big towards the end."

The next afternoon, Little Lucie came over and played with Georges and Genevieve. All three children had a lot of fun.

* * *

><p>Several months passed. Sydney and Gabrielle adjusted to their new home and came to love it. Many happy hours were spent eating, reading, or just relaxing on the screened-in porch while watching the children play in the back yard.<p>

The Cartons saw the Darnays on almost a daily basis. Gabrielle watched as Lucie's belly expanded and she began to wear looser clothing.

"I felt the baby move for the first time today," she excitedly told Gabrielle one day.

"You can actually feel its movements inside of you?" Gabrielle asked incredulously.

"As soon as it's big enough, you can," Lucie told her. "At first it feels just like the flutter of a baby bird's wings."

One day Sydney and Charles went fishing and had a good day. As Sydney brought his catch home, Gabrielle could smell the fish well before he arrived, and the smell made her nauseous. While he was cleaning the fish, Sydney heard her having dry heaves. Concerned, he went to where she was and put his arms around her.

"You should go lie down if you're not feeling well," he told her gently. "I'lll prepare dinner."

"No, that's all right," Gabrielle replied bravely. "You caught them. I'll cook them."

Gabrielle somehow made it through the cooking of the fish, but when it came time to eat, she couldn't eat them. She ate just a little of the potatoes, beans, and bread.

That night in bed, Sydney held her as if she were a child. "I'm worried about you, sweetheart," he told her. "You must see the physician if you're not feeling better within a couple of days."

"I'm sure it's just a minor thing," Gabrielle told him. "I'll be back to my normal self again tomorrow."

"I certainly hope you're right." Sydney kissed her forehead and embraced her tightly. She snuggled up to him and was asleep within minutes.


	13. One Fateful Night

As she left the physician's office, Gabrielle's heart was as light as a feather. She couldn't wait to share her exciting news with Sydney. _Sydney. _Just the thought of his name filled her heart with love. He was her shelter, her anchor, her confidante, her dearest friend, the man she wanted to share the rest of her life with. And now he was the father of her child as well.

Collecting Georges and Genevieve from Lucie, she returned home without sharing the news with her friend, as she wanted Sydney to be the first to know.

Her heart thrilled at the sound of the key turning in the lock that evening.

"Gabrielle!" Sydney's face lit up at the sight of his beloved wife, and he hugged and kissed her.

"Wonderful news!" Gabrielle told him. "We're going to have a baby!"

"A baby!" Sydney echoed. His eyes lit up and then he laughed with joy. "A baby! Oh, Gabrielle!" He hugged her tightly and kissed her.

"What about us, Uncle Sydney?" asked Georges. He and Genevieve both looked worried.

"You two have nothing at all to worry about. There's plenty of love to go around!" Sydney grinned and ruffled his hair.

"I hope it's a girl," Genevieve said. "It'll be just like having a real live baby doll. I can feed her, dress her, and rock her to sleep." Her brother scowled.

"I'm sure you'll both be wonderful with the baby," Gabrielle told them. Genevieve beamed.

Gabrielle and Lucie became even closer friends as time went by. Having already been through one pregnancy, and being partway through a second, Lucie was a great help to Gabrielle on advice about handling pregnancy symptoms, what was likely to happen next, and so forth. The two women spent many happy hours in conversation, shopping for necessary items for the nursery, sewing, knitting, or crocheting cute little hats, blankets, and booties, and things like that. Gabrielle and Sydney were both thrilled and awed by Gabrielle's changing body. Both of them were very excited at the first faint stirrings of the child within Gabrielle's womb. Sydney sometimes saw his wife just sitting quietly with tears in her eyes. He knew that she was thinking of her mother, Sophie, at these times. He didn't say anything but simply went to her and comforted her as best he knew how.

One afternoon Sydney brought Little Lucie home for Gabrielle to babysit. "Charles is taking Lucie to the hospital," he explained. "Her baby is about to be born. I'm going with them for moral support."

Little Lucie, Georges, and Genevieve played together until bedtime. Gabrielle got Georges and Genevieve settled in their beds and Little Lucie on the sofa and sat up to await word from Sydney about Lucie's progress. Hour after hour passed, and still Sydney didn't appear. Gabrielle began to feel anxious. Had the baby been born yet? Was it healthy? Was Lucie all right?

Gabrielle dozed for a little while and then snapped back awake again. Sydney still hadn't been by. Finally she decided that she just couldn't take it anymore. She quickly checked on the children and, planning to be back before they awakened, swiftly made her way to the hospital.

When she arrived, she saw that both Charles' and Sydney's eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and she felt her heart sink. Just then the doctor appeared and spoke to Charles.

"You have a decision to make," he said solemnly. "Do you want us to save your wife or the baby?"


	14. Gabrielle's Fear

_"Mon Dieu!" _Charles moaned. "Please don't let Lucie die! I couldn't go on living without her!"

The doctor disappeared back into Lucie's room. Sydney patted Charles' shoulder comfortingly. Then he looked at Gabrielle, startled.

"The children are asleep," she told him. "I waited and waited until I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to know what was wrong."

Sydney placed a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder. "Go back home, Gabrielle. There's nothing you can do here," he said gently.

Gabrielle realized that he was right, and with a heavy sigh, she turned to go back home. The children were still asleep when she arrived. She collapsed on the bed and was asleep almost instantly. She didn't even hear Sydney quietly enter the house several hours later.

Little Lucie was the first of the children to awaken. At first she couldn't understand why she was on the sofa in the Cartons' living room, and then she remembered.

"Mama?"

"Your mama is still in the hospital, but everything's going to be all right," Sydney, who sat in a chair beside the sofa, told her.

Gabrielle heard them talking and stumbled from the bedroom rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Is she...?" she asked Sydney.

"She's still alive." Sydney looked at Little Lucie. "You have a new brother, sweetheart." He smiled. "Sydney Charles Darnay. They named him for me."

"Is he all right?" Gabrielle asked.

"He seems perfectly healthy."

"I want to see my Mama!" Little Lucie demanded.

"She's still very tired from having the baby, honey. We'll go see her after she's had some time to rest."

Later Sydney spoke to Gabrielle in private while the children ate breakfast. "Lucie labored for many hours yet the baby still didn't come. She was becoming very weak and the doctor feared that the child was in distress. He told Charles that there were only two options: he could cut Lucie and take the baby through her abdomen, in which case she would almost certainly die, or he could allow nature to take its course, in which case the child was in danger of perishing inside its mother's body. Charles refused to allow Lucie to be cut, and several hours later, little Sydney was born alive. Lucie is still alive also, but just barely so. The doctor doesn't know whether or not she'll make it." A sob caught in Sydney's throat. Gabrielle embraced him and comforted him as best she could.

Lucie hovered between life and death for several days, during which time Little Lucie stayed with the Cartons while they tried to keep her spirits up as much as possible. Sydney and Gabrielle took her and the other children to the zoo to try to keep their minds off things. The adults watched fondly as the children laughed at the antics of the monkeys, and for a couple of hours, at least, their troubles were forgotten.

A day or two later, Charles stopped by to visit. "Lucie is feeling a good bit stronger now," he told them. "She wants to see Little Lucie."

"Thank God!" Sydney exclaimed.

The whole family returned to the hospital with Charles. The Cartons sat in the waiting room while Charles and Little Lucie went to visit Lucie and baby Sydney.

"Does she feel up to seeing any more visitors?" Sydney asked when they returned.

Charles shook his head. "She's napping now. I'm sure she'll be ready to see everyone else in a day or two."

* * *

><p>One night soon afterwards, Sydney awoke to the sound of Gabrielle's sobs.<p>

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked, alarmed.

"Oh, Sydney, I'm so afraid!" she cried.

"Of what, my love?"

"Lucie just almost died having a baby. What if the same thing happens to me? What will become of Georges and Genevieve?"

"Oh, darling, everything will be all right," Sydney said. "What happened to Lucie was a fluke. The vast majority of the time, the baby comes quickly and easily, and the mother and the baby are both just fine."

"Sydney, please promise me that if I die, you will love and care for Georges and Genevieve as if they were your own!"

"Of course I promise, darling, but you're not going to die. I swear to you, Gabrielle, everything's going to be just fine." He held her and comforted her until she went back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Lucie's health continued to improve, and soon she and baby Sydney were able to return home. Gabrielle spent a lot of time at the Darnays helping with housework and childcare.<p>

"You're a true Godsend," Lucie told her. "I don't know what in the world we would do without you."

"I've only done what a friend should do," Gabrielle replied modestly.

One day when baby Sydney was several months old, a storm with heavy rain, thunder and lightning fell upon London. Gabrielle prepared dinner and waited for Sydney to return home. Minutes turned to hours, and still he didn't appear. Gabrielle grew deeply worried.

"I hope he hasn't been injured trying to get home in this weather," she said. Just then a sharp pain gripped her abdomen and caused her to bend over double.

"What's wrong, Aunt Gabbie?" asked Georges.

"I think...I think the baby's about to come," she gasped.


	15. New Life

"Help me to bed, Georges," Gabrielle said. The boy put his arm around her and, leaning heavily on him, she somehow made it back to bed. Genevieve came into the room with a frightened look on her face.

"Aunt Gabbie's baby is about to come," Georges told his sister.

Genevieve's eyes widened. "What are we going to do?"

"I think you're supposed to boil water, or something," Georges said hesitantly.

Gabrielle closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, then grimaced as another contraction hit her.

"I'm scared." Genevieve began to cry.

"I sure wish Uncle Sydney were here," Georges said.

Gabrielle prayed silently. _Oh God, please let Sydney be all right, and please let him come home soon!_

* * *

><p>"You have a couple of children now, don't you, Carton?" asked Eustace, a man who worked with Sydney.<p>

"A boy and a girl and another on the way," Sydney said proudly.

"My beagle had five puppies a few weeks ago, and I need to find good homes for all of them. Would your children like to have a dog?"

"I'm sure they'd love one!" Sydney exclaimed. A new puppy would keep Georges and Genevieve busy so they'd feel less left out and jealous when the real baby was born.

"Why don't you come over after work and choose the one you like," Eustace suggested.

"Thank you. I'll do that." Sydney saw storm clouds in the sky but figured he'd be back home in plenty of time before the storm came. At Eustace's home Sydney looked at all the puppies and noticed that one female gazed at him with large, sad-looking brown eyes the whole time. The other puppies romped and played but she just sat looking at him as if begging him to take her home. Sydney knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was the right puppy for his family.

"I want that one," he told Eustace.

"Excellent choice. She's a real little sweetheart," Eustace said, picking the puppy up and handing her to Sydney.

Just then a loud clap of thunder sounded in the sky as heavy rain beat against the windows.

"I think you'd better stay here until this storm lets up some," Eustace told Sydney.

* * *

><p>Several hours passed and the storm was still going strong. It was past Georges and Genevieve's bedtime but they couldn't go to sleep. Gabrielle still lay in bed moaning in agony. Georges sat beside her holding a damp cloth to her forehead.<p>

It was in the early hours of the morning when the storm finally passed.

* * *

><p>Gabrielle's labor pains changed. Now she had the urge to bear down.<p>

_Please, Sydney! Please get home soon! _she begged.

Suddenly the front door opened and Sydney and the puppy entered. The sound awakened Georges and Genevieve, both of whom had dozed off on Gabrielle's bed. They saw the new puppy and began to shout with excitement.

"Sydney!" cried Gabrielle. Sydney instantly saw what was going on and sprang into action. He told Georges and Genevieve to fetch some clean towels and blankets and scissors. Then he quickly removed Gabrielle's undergarments and helped her to sit up in bed.

"I can see the baby's head!" he exclaimed.

Gabrielle continued to push with all her might, and first the head, then one shoulder, and finally the entire body slid out into Sydney's waiting hands.

"It's a girl!" he said with a happy laugh. He thought of the first time he had ever seen Little Lucie and how much his own baby looked like she had then. He gently laid the baby on Gabrielle's chest and she reached to touch the soft, velvety skin.

"Oh, Sydney..." Tears of joy ran down her face, and Sydney kissed them away.

"I love you so much, my precious," he whispered. He cut the baby's cord and she let out a lusty wail. Then he cleaned her, wrapped her in a blanket, and handed her back to Gabrielle.

"I want to name her Sophie," Gabrielle said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "Is that all right, Sydney?"

"Of course it is." Sydney and Gabrielle sat on the bed together, gazing in wonder at their new daughter. Baby Sophie looked back at them with her unfocused eyes, her little face grimacing, her tiny balled fists flailing in the air.

"The new puppy just peed all over the floor," Georges announced.

"I'm sure you two can manage to get it cleaned up," Sydney told him.

Georges and Genevieve came to stand beside the bed and look down at the baby. Georges held the puppy, who squirmed to get free.

"Meet your new little cousin. Her name is Sophie," Gabrielle said.

The children were fascinated by baby Sophie, much more so than they had been by the puppy. In the end Sydney had to tell them that Gabrielle and the baby both needed to rest and sent them and the puppy into another room.

"Thank you for our daughter, Sydney," Gabrielle said in a low voice.

"Why do _you _thank _me? _You're the one who had to do all the work." Sydney laughed gently.

"But I couldn't have done it without your help," Gabrielle pointed out.

"True." Sydney put his arm around Gabrielle and held her close. She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.


	16. Pierre

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Marie S. Zachary who requested it. :)_

One day when baby Sophie was about six months old, Sydney and Gabrielle took her for a walk in the park in her carriage while Georges and Genevieve were at the Darnays playing with Little Lucie.

"Do you remember the first time you ever took me to this park? It was only a few days after we arrived from Paris," Gabrielle said.

Sydney chuckled. "I remember it very well," he replied.

"It was the same day I found out that Charles is really my cousin." Her smile evaporated. Sydney put a comforting hand over her own.

"You know that Charles doesn't think of you in a negative way at all, and you shouldn't think of yourself in a negative way either," he told her gently.

"You're such a good father, Sydney." Gabrielle smiled. "I think Sophie is just so very fortunate to have you as her father."

"Why, thank you. I think you're a wonderful mother as well," Sydney replied. "You never told me much about your grandparents who raised you as their own child."

"They were always very good to me and never gave me any reason whatsoever to think that I was anything other than their beloved child, just as Sophie was. They were quite a bit older than me, of course. I was devastated when they died. What about your parents, Sydney? What were they like?"

"My father was a good man but a bit of a workaholic. I didn't see that much of him while I was growing up as he sometimes worked long hours. My mother was a kind, caring woman, but her health was never very good. I was only sixteen when they both died during an epidemic. After that I had to fend for myself. Through sheer determination I not only completed my education but made it through law school as well, working part time at night."

On a bench sat a man who looked familiar. As they approached he smiled and greeted them.

"Oh, you have a baby now! How wonderful!" he exclaimed when he saw Sophie. She smiled and cooed at him.

"Oh, isn't she precious," he commented.

"I know I've seen you before, but I don't remember your name," Sydney said apologetically.

"My name is Pierre. You last saw me in Paris about two years ago," the man told him.

"Oh yes, of course!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "It's lovely to see you again. I hope that you are faring well."

"Quite well," Pierre replied. "As you can see, I've finally managed to escape France. I live in a small apartment near here, working odd jobs while seeking permanent employment."

"I'm so glad you were able to escape," Gabrielle told him.

"It wasn't easy. I had to sneak out in the dead of night in disguise with phony papers. I can't begin to tell you how relieved I was to finally arrive at the shores of Dover."

"I know exactly how you feel," Gabrielle said.

"You're such a beautiful and sweet lady," Pierre told her. "I'm so happy to have played a role in your escape. I had to pay a price, of course, but it was worth it."

"Oh dear." Gabrielle frowned. "I do hope you weren't punished very severely."

"I was whipped," Pierre said softly.

"Oh, no! You poor dear!" Gabrielle was very distressed.

"I'll never forget that day," Pierre continued. "It changed my entire outlook on things. Before, I had thought that the Revolution was a good thing for France. I thought that it was high time that the nobility were toppled from their positions of comfort and ease and forced to answer for how they had treated the common people of France. As each wagon filled with former members of French nobility arrived at the site of execution I felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Justice was about to be meted out. The high and mighty were at last to pay for their greed and indifference and the spoils to be divided amongst the poor whom they had cheated and deprived."

"Then I saw you arrive, Gabrielle, and I knew that you had never cheated or mistreated anyone, that you had in fact grown up poor yourself. I also knew that the same must be true of many who had been sentenced to death. That was when I realized for the first time that this Revolution wasn't really about justice for the poor at all. It was about hatred and vengeance, about people like the Defarges who had a lot of anger in their hearts and were looking to mete out punishment upon just anyone to satisfy their own craving for blood. That was when I knew that I could no longer be a part of it."

"After dismantling the guillotine I was severely whipped. The pain was so severe that I was bedridden for several days. Forever after that, I was branded a counter revolutionary and hated and despised and shunned. My life became a living nightmare. I knew that I had to escape France, so I waited patiently until the opportunity arose."

"Oh, you poor man," Gabrielle said. "And to think you went through that all for my sake."

"No, Gabrielle, not just for your sake. For the sakes of everyone in your situation. And to me it was worth it."

"You're truly an angel, Pierre, as you did what you did out of love," Sydney told him.

"Just as you, Sydney, were willing to die out of love for Lucie," Gabrielle reminded him.

Just then Lucie appeared with a desperate look on her face. She was holding baby Sydney, and Little Lucie, Georges, and Genevieve ran behind her, struggling to keep up.

"Oh, thank goodness I've found you!" she exclaimed. "Something terrible has happened! Charles was run over by a horse and carriage. He's lost a lot of blood, and the doctors think he has broken bones as well. They don't know whether he's going to make it or not."


	17. Love Never Dies

Gabrielle felt her heart breaking as she saw Charles lying in his hospital bed, his normally robust complexion now pale, his limbs bandaged.

"My friend." Sydney began to sob quietly. Gabrielle put her arms around him in comfort, and they both tried to comfort Lucie, who sobbed inconsolably.

Charles didn't awaken the entire time his friends and family were there, and when they finally returned home, it was with heavy hearts.

The next day Sydney took off work and spent the entire day at the hospital with Lucie. Charles still lay in bed unconscious.

"I simply can't believe that this has happened," Lucie said. "Yesterday morning he was as full of life as ever, and now he can't even open his eyes."

"You can never take life for granted, Lucie," Sydney said gently. "Every day you are given to live is precious."

"You came close to dying once, Sydney. What did it feel like?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't one bit afraid," Sydney told her. "I was afraid that it would hurt, of course, but even more than that, I was afraid of what might come after. Was heaven really true? Would I have a new body? If so, what would it be like? Would I still be able to see what was going on on earth? More importantly, would I have any way of communicating with my loved ones who were still on earth?"

"The same questions are going through my mind right now, for Charles," Lucie said. "If I lose him, will I ever see him again? Will he be up in heaven waiting for me? Will he be able to see what Little Lucie and baby Sydney and I are doing?"

"I must confess, I'm every bit as much in the dark concerning answers to those questions now as I was then," Sydney admitted. "But there's one thing I feel sure of, and that is that love never dies. By that I mean that even if someone who loves you dies, I don't believe that their love for you dies with them. I believe that it is yours to treasure in your heart always."

"You've always been such a good friend to me, Sydney. Your presence is such a comfort while I wait to find out whether or not my husband is going to live and recover."

"I'm so happy to be a source of comfort to you, Lucie. You know that I have always loved you and would do anything in the world for you."

"I feel that I've never appreciated you as much as I should have, Sydney. You've always been here for me...for us...and I've always just taken you for granted..."

Lucie began to sob. Sydney's heart broke for her. He couldn't bear to see her in so much pain.

"Lucie, darling, it's all right...the love I gave you was always freely given...I never expected anything in return..."

Neither of them anticipated what was to happen next. It was completely spontaneous yet seemed very natural. As Sydney's lips met those he had only dreamed of for ever so long, as Lucie's heart was drawn toward the dear friend who so resembled her critically injured husband, they were both simply caught up in the moment.

The kiss ended abruptly as they realized what was happening and lowered their eyes in shame.

"I'm so sorry," Sydney mumbled. "It'll never happen again, I promise."

"Never," Lucie echoed.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle had just gotten both babies settled for a nap and the older children engrossed in a game. Thinking that she had enough time to check on Charles, she quietly slipped out of the house and made her way to the hospital.

As she entered the emergency room, Gabrielle's heart almost stopped as she saw her husband and their mutual friend locked in a passionate embrace. Her eyes filled with tears as she turned and dashed out of the hospital. Never had she known such pain.

_He told me that he no longer had those feelings for her...that he only loved her as a friend now...he **lied **to me...oh dear God...what shall I do now?_

Devastated, she automatically headed for the park where she had seen Pierre the previous day. She knew that she had to find him. To her tremendous relief, he was sitting on the same bench he had occupied the previous day, which to her now seemed like a million years ago. He saw her coming and his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"Gabrielle! Whatever is the matter?"

"It's over...all over...between Sydney and me." She sobbed into his arms as he held her tightly.


	18. Seeking Comfort

"Why don't you tell me the whole story, from the beginning," Pierre gently urged as he stroked the dark brown curls.

"The man who was hurt...his name is Charles, and he's Lucie's husband. Sydney loved her before he met me, but she married Charles. Charles was arrested and sentenced to death. Sydney loved Lucie so much that he was willing to die in Charles' place. He obtained entrance to Charles' cell and tricked Charles into changing places with him. It was Sydney who was to have been executed with me that day."

"After we escaped Paris, Sydney took me back to London with him and introduced me to Charles and Lucie. We became friends very quickly, and Sydney and I fell in love and married."

"We spent all of yesterday at the hospital with Charles and Lucie. This morning Sydney went back to the hospital while I stayed home to care for the children. I finally managed to settle both babies down for a nap and decided to go to the hospital to see how Charles was doing. As soon as I walked in I saw Sydney and Lucie hugging and kissing!"

By now Gabrielle was sobbing so hard that she could no longer speak. Pierre held her and rubbed her back for a long time.

"We should go back and check on your children," he said gently after awhile.

"Oh, yes, of course!" They both rushed back to the Cartons' home, where they found all five children awake. Georges was holding baby Sydney, and Genevieve was holding Sophie.

"I'm terribly sorry," Gabrielle told them. "I didn't intend to stay away for so long. Something unexpected came up. This is my friend Pierre. Pierre, this is my...niece and nephew, Georges and Genevieve, and Charles and Lucie's children, Little Lucie and Sydney. You've already met Sophie, of course."

"They're all such lovely children," Pierre said, taking baby Sophie into his arms and sitting down with her.

It was right at that moment that Sydney, blissfully unaware, of course, of Gabrielle's visit to the hospital earlier that day, came in, all smiles.

"Good news! Charles has finally awakened. He seems to be completely aware of everything going on around him, although of course he's in a great deal of pain." Suddenly Sydney noticed Pierre's presence, and his expression changed from one of happiness to one of confusion. "What on earth is going on?" he asked.

"Gabrielle told me how you and Lucie spent your time at the hospital this morning," Pierre said coldly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sydney still looked totally lost.

Gabrielle began to sob again. "You and Lucie kissed! I saw you!"

"Oh." Realization suddenly dawned on Sydney's face. "I'm so sorry, Gabrielle. Please forgive me. We were both simply caught up in the moment. She was devastated over Charles and I was trying to comfort her. We both regretted it right away, and I promise you that it will never happen again."

"You still love her." Gabrielle refused to look at her husband.

"No, sweetheart, that's not true. I love you now." Sydney went to his wife and tried to embrace her, but she turned away from him and toward Pierre.

"I think that you should leave now," Pierre told Sydney, gently but firmly.

With a look of helplessness on his face, Sydney quietly turned and left the house.


	19. Reconciliation

Gabrielle watched Sydney's retreating back with mixed emotions. A part of her wanted desperately to believe him, yet the other part still felt the sting of betrayal.

Sophie began to cry, interrupting Gabrielle's train of thought.

"She's hungry," Gabrielle said. She opened her blouse and began to breastfeed her daughter, while Pierre looked on longingly.

"I can almost imagine that she's our daughter, that we had her together," he said softly.

Gabrielle felt a twinge of guilt but said nothing.

After Sophie had finished nursing, the older children were ready for their evening meal. Pierre took the entire group to a restaurant with tables and chairs outside. Pierre carried baby Sydney while Gabrielle carried Sophie. Little Lucie, Georges and Genevieve walked behind them.

"Look at that gorgeous sunset," Gabrielle gasped. Various shades of purple, blue, red, and orange streaked across the sky, bathing the area with their soft glow.

"It's just like magic," Pierre agreed.

The group got their food and sat eating it and enjoying the picturesque view. Gabrielle told Pierre about Sophie's illness and death, her own arrest and imprisonment, and the rescue of Georges and Genevieve from the orphanage. Pierre told Gabrielle about his own family and their various adventures and how he himself had come to join the Revolution. Time seemed to fly as they got to know one another better.

After awhile it began to get darker and the children began to get tired, so the group made its way home. Pierre and Gabrielle got the children settled for the night and then sat up and talked some more.

"Please stay with me tonight," Gabrielle begged Pierre. "I really don't want to be alone."

"Of course. I'll be more than happy to," Pierre told her.

They lingered in the bedroom doorway, reluctant to part.

"Well, good night," Pierre finally said. He took a few steps toward the sofa, then turned to face Gabrielle again. She hadn't moved from the doorway.

"Oh, Gabrielle," Pierre said softly. He approached her once more, cupped her chin in his hand, and softly kissed her. She responded to his advances, hesitantly at first, then more willingly. Her arms came up to encircle his neck, and he pressed his body against hers so that she could feel his arousal.

Suddenly Sydney's face loomed large in Gabrielle's mind, and he was all she could see. The spell was broken. With a gasp, she pulled away from Pierre.

"I just can't!" she exclaimed, bursting into tears. Pierre just stood there looking at her, hurt and bewildered.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, rushing from the house. She had to find Sydney, the man she loved.

She found him exactly where she thought she would, at Charles and Lucie's house. Lucie had gone to bed, and Sydney was preparing to sleep on the sofa. He saw Gabrielle and gasped in surprise.

"Oh, Sydney!" she cried, rushing into his arms. Too startled to reply, he just stood there, holding her and rubbing her back.

"I'm so sorry! It's you I belong with. I love you!" she cried.

"There, there," Sydney said softly, still rubbing her back. "It's all right. I understand."

"Please come back home where you belong!" Gabrielle begged.

Sydney and Gabrielle returned home, where Pierre still waited, looking confused.

"I'm so sorry, Pierre," Gabrielle told him. "I didn't mean to lead you on, I truly didn't, but I realize now that I truly do love my husband and want to be with him. You may still spend the night on our sofa if you want. I'm not going to kick you out."

"No, that's all right," Pierre said sadly. "I'll just return to my own home."

"I really am sorry, Pierre," Gabrielle repeated.

"It's all right. It's not your fault," Pierre told her.

As soon as Pierre had left, Gabrielle took Sydney's hand and led him into the bedroom. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly while kissing him passionately. To his surprise, Sydney felt her tongue enter his mouth and come into contact with his own. Her hands moved to unbutton first his shirt, then his trousers. She stroked him through his underwear until he was firm and rigid, then deftly removed his underwear and took him into her mouth. He gasped with surprised delight. It was the very first time she had ever done that. She licked him all over and then began to suckle him until he began to thrust into her mouth, and then she removed her own clothing and lay back on the bed, waiting for him. In a flash he was on top of her and inside her, moving frantically. It ended very quickly, of course, and Sydney lay panting as Gabrielle watched him with a big smile on her face.

Sydney laughed. "Sweetheart, you amaze me," he said.

"Did you like that?" she asked coyly.

"Did I like it?" He shook his head in wonder and laughed softly. "Come here, girl. I'm not finished with you."

He began to kiss her again, at the same time rubbing her nipples until they were erect and hard. Then he began to gently suckle them while sliding his fingers between her legs to gently stimulate her most sensitive spot. When he could tell that she was almost over the edge, he entered her once again, chuckling softly as she cried out and thrashed. This time it lasted much longer, and Sydney made sure that Gabrielle went over the edge at least twice. When they were both exhausted they fell into a blissful sleep holding one another.


	20. One Student In Particular

"So, Charles is awake now?" Gabrielle asked Sydney the following morning.

"Yes. That was what I came to tell you about yesterday when..." His voice broke off.

"I swear to you, I did nothing more than kiss him," Gabrielle said.

"Let's just not talk about it anymore," Sydney said. "It's over and done with. Things are good between us again. That's all that matters."

"I'd love to see Charles, now that he's awake," Gabrielle said.

"Of course. I'll stay with the children and you can go to see him this afternoon," Sydney volunteered.

Charles still looked pale and had obviously lost weight, but he seemed cheerful and upbeat.

"I suppose I forgot to step out of the way," he quipped.

"I'm so happy to see that you're doing better," Gabrielle said as she hugged him.

"Is everything all right between you and Sydney again?" Lucie asked, concerned. "I'm so sorry for my part in the misunderstanding."

"It's all right. Everything's fine now," Gabrielle reassured her.

"Sydney said there was another man...a friend of yours..."

"Yes. His name's Pierre. We grew up together in the same neighborhood and then lost touch and recently found each other again, when I went back to Paris to look for Georges and Genevieve. He's come to London to escape the Revolution. He needs a permanent job."

"I need someone to take on my students while I'm in the hospital," Charles said. "Even when I go home, I expect I'll only be able to work on a part-time basis until I get stronger. I'd love to have his help if he's willing."

"That sounds perfect!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "I'll talk to him about it as soon as I can."

When Gabrielle returned home she told Sydney what had transpired at the hospital.

"That sounds wonderful," Sydney said. "I would love to help the man out any way I can. I've been in his shoes before so I know how he feels."

Later the same day, the whole family went to visit Pierre. He was surprised to see them again.

"I thought you would be angry at me," he told Sydney.

"Of course not," Sydney replied. "How could I be when I've been through the same thing myself?"

Pierre looked curious but didn't pry. He looked pleased when they gave him the news about Charles needing help with his students. "I do appreciate your recommending me. Yes, I would love to take on his excess students."

Pierre found that he enjoyed tutoring students in French much, much more than he had enjoyed operating the guillotine. One student in particular made an immediate impression on him.


	21. Emma

Her name was Emma, and Pierre thought that she was very pretty, almost as pretty as Gabrielle. "I need to learn French because I plan to move to Paris to work as a governess," she explained to Pierre.

"I recently narrowly escaped Paris with my life," Pierre told her. "I wish you the best."

"The man I'll be working for is actually King Louis XVI's first cousin. He has five children, three girls and two boys. I'll have a nice room all to myself in the palace and everything I'll need to live comfortably. King Louis' cousin is a kind and generous man. I'll never have to worry about having enough to eat again."

Pierre could see that she was simply thrilled with her new position, and he didn't want to spoil her happiness, so he said nothing. After her lesson, Emma asked Pierre why he had left Paris.

"Although I initially supported the Revolution, over time I became weary of the indiscriminate violence and bloodshed,' Pierre told her. "I wanted justice for the common man, but after seeing so much death I began to think there must be some better way." He didn't tell Emma that he had formerly operated a guillotine. He wasn't sure what she would think of him if she knew that about him.

After several months of lessons, both Pierre and Emma felt that Emma was fluent enough in French to work as a governess for French children, so she left for Paris as he stood on the bank of Dover waving good-bye to her and wondering whether he would ever see her again.

* * *

><p>In the meantime, Charles continued to improve until he was almost completely back to normal except that he still had to walk with a cane. His physician didn't tell him that he may always have to walk with a cane because he didn't want Charles to get discouraged. Charles was now able to take on his full load of students once again, but fortunately, there was enough business that Pierre was able to go into business with him full time. Pierre met many new students, but he never forgot Emma. He thought of her often, wondering how she was faring.<p>

It was about six months later that an unkempt woman with wild eyes arrived at the door of his flat. She was dirty, and her clothing was all disheveled. At first Pierre felt hesitant to help her, wondering whether she was of sound mind.

"Don't you recognize me?" she cried. "I'm Emma!"

Pierre was shocked and distraught at the change in her. The pretty, upbeat, enthusiastic woman from before was now a weary, frightened, beaten-down individual.

"Tell me what happened." Pierre's voice was soft with concern as he opened the door and let her in.

"All is lost!" Emma wailed, collapsing onto the sofa. "The children's parents have both been sent to the guillotine, and the children themselves have been taken to prison. I've no idea what's to become of them. The only reason they let me go was that I showed them my papers proving that I'm an English citizen. Oh, Pierre!" She collapsed into helpless sobs.

Pierre put his arms around her and tried to comfort her. "There, there," he said, patting her shoulder. "It's all over with now. You're safe."


	22. Missing

"But what shall I do? Where shall I go?" asked Emma.

"You're certainly welcome to stay here for as long as you like," said Pierre.

"But I _couldn't!" _Emma was shocked. "An unmarried woman staying in the home of an unmarried man - what would that look like?"

"Let me check with my friends. They have several children, but I'm sure they'd be willing to let you stay with them temporarily."

"I wouldn't want to impose..."

"Oh, they wouldn't see it that way at all. They're both very kind people," Pierre insisted.

Within minutes they were standing on Sydney and Gabrielle's doorstep.

"Oh, you poor dear! Whatever happened?" Gabrielle asked when she saw Emma. Emma repeated her story to Gabrielle.

"Why, of course you may stay here! We don't have much room, but you're certainly welcome to sleep on the sofa."

"Oh, thank you, madame," said Emma. "You're so very kind."

"Why, it's perfectly all right!" Gabrielle embraced her. "I know exactly what it's like to be all alone with nowhere to go."

Sophie was a year old by now. She was a chubby, happy baby, with dark hair and eyes and dimples. She had only recently learned to walk and toddled curiously over to Emma.

"Aren't you adorable!" Emma exclaimed, holding her arms out to the baby. "Won't you come see me?"

Sophie's smile disappeared, and she fell onto her plump bottom, where she sat looking anxiously at her mother.

"She's just a little bit shy around new people," Gabrielle explained. "She'll be fine once she gets to know you." She picked Sophie up and sat holding her on the sofa beside Emma. From the safety of her mother's arms, the little girl regarded the newcomer without fear.

"Would you like to play patty-cake?" Emma smiled warmly at Sophie. After a moment's hesitation, Sophie smiled back at her.

"This is Emma," Gabrielle told Georges and Genevieve when they returned home from school. "She'll be staying with us for a little while."

The children looked at Emma curiously, and the woman quickly shared her story with them.

"After our mother died, they took our aunt away from us and put us in an orphanage," Georges told Emma. "We were so scared. We were so sure that she was being taken away to the guillotine and we'd never see her again. I was so very happy when she and Uncle Sydney finally found us and brought us to England."

"You poor dears," Emma said to Georges and Genevieve. "I'm so happy you're safe now."

"May we please go play with Little Lucie, Aunt Gabrielle?" asked Genevieve.

"Of course, dear, as long as you're home by dinnertime," Gabrielle told her.

"Please let me do something to help," Emma said to Gabrielle when she began to prepare the meal.

"Why don't you wash these vegetables and then I'll chop them," Gabrielle suggested.

"I'd be happy to," Emma said.

Soon Sydney was home from work. "This is Emma," Gabrielle told him. "She's a friend of Pierre's who needed a place to stay for a little while."

"Of course she's welcome to stay for as long as she likes," said Sydney. "But where are Georges and Genevieve?"

"I told them that they could go to play with Little Lucie as long as they were home by dinnertime," Gabrielle told him.

Within a few minutes, Gabrielle and Emma had finished preparing dinner, and the children still hadn't returned.

"It isn't like them to disobey," Gabrielle said. "I do hope that nothing has happened to them."

"I'll go over to Charles and Lucie's and fetch them really quick," Sydney volunteered. He went to his friends' house, where he found them both very worried.

"I went outside to call Little Lucie in for dinner and didn't see the children. I looked all over for them but couldn't find them anywhere," Lucie told him.


	23. Jack And Trudy

Little Lucie had been the first one to see the dog. Its white fur was long and dirty, and it was very skinny.

"Look at the doggie!" she exclaimed.

Just then a cat ran by, and the cat took off after it like a bolt of lightning. "Come back, little doggie!" Little Lucie cried as she ran after it.

"Lucie, come back! You're gonna get lost!" Georges shouted after his friend, but she didn't hear him. "We'd better follow her," he told his sister.

At last the children caught up to the dog. It was standing and barking at a window that the cat had obviously just entered.

"Hello, little doggie," said Little Lucie. The dog turned and trotted to her, wagging its tail. She stooped to pet it and it licked her hand. "You're a nice doggie," she said. "I want to take you home with me." Suddenly she glanced around, frightened. "I don't remember how to get back." She began to cry. Georges went to her and put his arms around her.

"There, there," he said. "Don't cry. We'll make it home somehow."

* * *

><p>"They can't have gone far," Sydney said to his friends. "I'll tell Gabrielle what happened and then begin searching for them."<p>

"I'll come with you," Charles offered.

"No, that's all right," said Sydney. "I wouldn't want you to overtire your leg."

He began looking up and down the street, going door to door and asking the neighbors if they'd seen the children. At last someone told him they'd seen three children, a boy and two girls, chasing a dog.

Sydney journeyed in the direction indicated and eventually came upon the children. Little Lucie was still crying, Georges was still comforting her, and Genevieve was holding the dog. "Uncle Sydney!" she cried, running to hug Sydney. Georges and Little Lucie were right behind her.

"We're sorry, Uncle Sydney," said Georges. "We didn't mean to wander away."

"That's all right," Sydney replied. "You're safe now. That's all that matters."

"Can I keep him, Uncle Sydney?" asked Little Lucie, picking the dog up. "He's so adorable!"

"That's something you'll have to ask your parents about," Sydney told her. "Come on, children. It's time to go home."

* * *

><p>"My baby!" Lucie cried, running to embrace her daughter. She saw the dog and stopped, surprised. "What on earth?"<p>

"Can I keep him, Mama? Please?" asked the little girl.

"Well..." Lucie looked hesitant.

"Let her keep him," Charles encouraged. "He's be a good companion for her. With a good bath and trim, he'll be good as new!"

"All right," Lucie consented.

"Thank you, Mama!" Little Lucie exclaimed. "I'm gonna call him Jack!"

"Little Lucie has a dog now," Georges told Gabrielle when he and his sister got home. "Can we please have one too?"

After some discussion, Sydney and Gabrielle agreed to allow Georges and Genevieve to choose a dog from the pound. They found a black terrier they liked and named her Trudy.

"Now Jack will have a playmate, too!" Genevieve said happily.


End file.
